Our Patrons Pick Their Favorite Books of 2014

IMG_6798-0For the last several years, The Department of Human Services of Cheshire has had a mitten tree in the library’s lobby, requesting the public to donate holiday gifts for needy girls and boys.  Our patrons have always been very generous and we thank you very much!

This year, after the gifts were gathered up to be delivered, we turned the mitten tree into ‘what was your favorite book of 2014′ tree.

Here’s what you said:

Children:

bestof2014kids

 

Adult:

bestof2014adult

 If you don’t see your title here, there were a few mittens that we could not decipher.

 

 

The Wait Is Almost Over – Fifty Shades of Grey

The movie, Fifty Shades of Grey, based on the books by E. L. James, is scheduled to be released to movie theaters on February 13th.  If you haven’t read the books, or you read them and want to refresh your memory, now’s the time to do it! We own the trilogy in multiple formats:

greyFifty Shades of Grey – When Anastasia Steele, a young literature student, interviews wealthy young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, their initial meeting introduces Anastasia to an exciting new world that will change them both forever.darker Book. Large Print. Audiobook. Ebook. Eaudio.

Fifty Shades Darker – After a brief break-up, Anastasia and Christian change their arrangement and both wrestle with their inner demons, as Anastasia tries to make an important decision. Book. Large Print. Audiobook. Ebook. Eaudio.

freedFifty Shades Freed – Even though Christian and Anastasia are now a proper couple, they still have many obstacles to overcome, including Christian’s past coming back to haunt Anastasia. Book. Large Print. Audiobook. Ebook.

 

 

 

Author Spotlight: Grace Burrowes

a single kissNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes is known for her Historical Romance books set in the Scottish Highlands, but she recently ventured into the Contemporary Romance area – with great success!  Her new trilogy, The Sweetest Kisses, begins with the first title, A Single Kiss, out this January.  It’s been named a Top Ten Romance by Publisher’s Weekly.  Hannah Stark has set her sights on corporate law to assure her a career of paperwork, predictability, and conservative suits. Contracts, finance, and the art of the deal sing to her, while the mess and misery of the courtroom do not. But her daughter needs to eat, so when Hannah is offered a temporary position in a small town firm’s domestic relations department, she reluctantly accepts.

Trent Knightley is mightily drawn to his newest associate, though Hannah is as protective of her privacy as she is competent. When their friendship and attraction heat up, Hannah’s secrets put her heart and Trent’s hopes in double jeopardy.

I really enjoyed this book.  Although I read a lot of contemporary romances, this book was fresh, innovative, and a joy to read.  Ms. Burrowes brings this story alive through a touch of humor, smoldering tension and relatable, real life issues.  Her details and witty narrative pull you into the story and you don’t want to leave until you’ve finish the whole book!  The secondary characters are well-developed, leaving you eager to read the next installment of this trilogy.

Book Two, The First Kiss, is due out in February and book three, Kiss Me Hello, is due out in March.

About The Author:

Grace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her gracefirst career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels.It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.  Her bestsellers include The Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish and Lady Eve’s Indiscretion. The Heir was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, The Soldier was a PW Best Spring Romance of 2011, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish won Best Historical Romance of the Year in 2011 from RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, Lady Louisa’s Christmas Knight was a Library Journal Best Book of 2012, and The Bridegroom Wore Plaid was a PW Best Book of 2012. Her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.
I was provided with an ARC of this book by Sourcebooks Casablanca.

 

 

Romance Authors and Social Media

socialAfter finishing a good book, do you find yourself wanting to learn a little bit about the author?  Do you want to know what other books the author has written?  Are you reading a series and want to know the titles in sequence?  Well, most authors are really into social media and have their own blogs, facebook accounts, and twitter accounts.  Some of the author’s blogs are wonderfully entertaining, funny, and loaded with personal information.  Some authors even have give-aways, usually books, or bags – even heartdinner with the author.  They also list where they will be personally appearing.  They let you into their personal lives, even sharing pictures of their families or vacations they have taken.   Do you wonder what authors are reading?  They’ll tell you – even promoting and recommending other authors’ books.  Romance authors really enjoy their readers and are willing to share just about anything with them.  Romance authors are also a very tight knit group.  Even though they live all over the country, they form very close friendships among themselves.  For example, author Kristan Higgins’ husband traveled out West to attend a ceremony for fallen firefighters (he is a firefighter here in Connecticut) and he actually stayed with author Robyn Carr’s family.

followRomance authors give us insight to how they came about writing their novels.  Sometimes, they put a call out for readers to suggest names for upcoming characters.  Authors read every comment a reader makes and sometimes write novels based on what their readers are looking for.   If you have a favorite author, it’s easy to just google their name and see what their website has to offer.  Below are two of my favorite Romance authors websites.  I try to read them once a week because they almost always give me a good laugh.jill 2

Jill Shalvis – Her site is very informative and her blog and facebook page are hysterical!  She shares a lot about her daily life and she posts lots of pictures, including what some of the heroes of her books might look like.  She has been reprimanded a few times by facebook for posting ‘too hot to handle’ photos!  The library has a great assortment of her books here.

kristanKristan Higgins – Her site is also very informative.  She and Jill Shalvis have similar writing styles in books and their blogs/facebook are quite similar.  They are also very good friends even though Kristan lives here in Connecticut and Jill on the West Coast in a small town in the Sierra Mountains.  The library also has a great assortment of her books here.

Some other interesting Romance authors websites are:

Robyn Carr – website          library catalog

Suzanne Brockmann – website      library catalog

Susan Elizabeth Phillips – website    library catalog

Julie Ann Walker – website     library catalog

Elle Kennedy – website      library catalog

 

On Our Shelves: November 2014 Romance Books Are Here!

readingHave you been waiting for your favorite author to publish a new book?  We’ve just received a shipment of the newest Romance paperbacks.  Take a look and see if your author has a new book out.

Contemporary

Christmas at Twilight (A Twilight, Texas Novel) by Lori Wilde

Sleigh Bells in Valentine Valley  (A Valentine Valley Novel) by Emma Cane

The Lodge on Holly Road  (Life in Icicle Falls) by Sheila Roberts

The Heart of Christmas (A Whiskey Creek Novel) by Brenda Novak

Snow Angel Cove by RaeAnne Thayne

Sunflower Lane (A Lonesome Way Novel) by Jill Gregory

What A Woman Gets (A Manley Maids Novel) by Judi Fennell

Midnight Action (A Killer Instincts Novel) by Elle Kennedy

Maybe This Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Treasure on Lilac Lane (A Jewell Cove Novel) by Donna Alward

PARANORMAL

Archangel’s Shadows (A Guild Hunter Novel) by Nalini Singh

Burn For Me (A Hidden Legacy Novel) by Ilona Andrews

Romantic Suspense

Cover Your Eyes by Mary Burton

Silent Night by C.J. Kyle

Historical

The Viscount Who Lived Down the Lane  (Rhymes With Love) by Elizabeth Boyle

Only Enchanting (A Survivors’ Club Novel) by Mary Balogh

The Accidental Countess by Valerie Bowman

The Shocking Secret of a Guest at the Wedding by Victoria Alexander